photoreceptor
noun
pho·to·re·cep·tor
| \ ˌfō-tō-ri-ˈsep-tər
\
\
Definition of photoreceptor
: a receptor for light stimuli
Examples of photoreceptor in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
That’s likely because these creatures lack several key photoreceptor genes, the study found. — Douglas Main, National Geographic, "How the world’s deepest fish survives bone-crushing pressure," 15 Apr. 2019 Light reflecting off the objects in our field of view enters the eye and comes to a focus on the retina, which is lined with photoreceptor cells that convert that light into electrochemical signals. — Jennifer Ouellette, Quanta Magazine, "A Math Theory for Why People Hallucinate," 30 July 2018 Vertebrae animals, like humans, require two types of photoreceptor cells to see, known as rods and cones. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "Some Fish Can See in Color at 5,000 Feet Below Sea Level," 10 May 2019 These photoreceptors are located in the retina, a thin layer in the back of the eye. — Caren Chesler, Popular Mechanics, "A Vision Quest," 6 Mar. 2019 Deficits usually occur in the two photoreceptors involved in sight: rods, which handle dim light and night vision and seeing in black and white, and cones, which handle daylight and bright vision and seeing in color. — Caren Chesler, Popular Mechanics, "A Vision Quest," 6 Mar. 2019 When the blue light hits the molecule retinal, the retinal in turn generates poisonous molecules that kill the very important photoreceptor cells. — Emma Sarran Webster, Teen Vogue, "New Study Explains How Blue Light From Digital Devices Accelerates Blindness," 13 Aug. 2018 With age people can develop macular degeneration (which is the light-sensitive nerve tissue in the eye), and using sunglasses may protect these photoreceptors from UV damage. — Adam Hurly, GQ, "This Is Why You Need to Wear Sunglasses," 23 June 2018 Might have something to do with the way the photoreceptors in the eye work. — Adam Rogers, WIRED, "The Fundamental Nihilism of Yanny vs. Laurel," 16 May 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'photoreceptor.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for photoreceptor
photoreceptor
noun
pho·to·re·cep·tor
| \ -ˈsep-tər
\
\
Medical Definition of photoreceptor
: a receptor for light stimuli